U.S. patent number 6,230,929 [Application Number 09/303,798] was granted by the patent office on 2001-05-15 for folded sheet adapter.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.. Invention is credited to Richard Paul Lewis, Stephen Lawrence Phelps, Paul Francis Tramontina.
United States Patent |
6,230,929 |
Phelps , et al. |
May 15, 2001 |
Folded sheet adapter
Abstract
An adapter for dispensing a plurality of vertically stacked,
interfolded sheets is disclosed herein, the adapter being
configured to fit within a standard vertically-stacked dual roll
dispenser. The adapter includes a housing having an interior
adapted to receive a plurality of vertically stacked, interfolded
sheets. Each sheet may include a leading edge and a trailing edge
separated by spaced-apart side edges. The housing may include a
front wall, a back wall spaced apart from the front wall, and two
spaced-apart side walls, each side wall extending between the back
wall and the front wall. The housing may further include a bottom
wall including a boss that extends upwardly into the interior of
the housing. An opening having a width dimension is formed in the
front wall, the opening adapted to dispense vertically stacked
interfolded sheets from the interior of the housing. The side edges
of the sheets are urged inwardly by the width dimension of the
opening as the sheets pass through the opening. A door may also be
provided, the door being pivotably attached to the housing.
Inventors: |
Phelps; Stephen Lawrence
(Lilburn, GA), Lewis; Richard Paul (Marietta, GA),
Tramontina; Paul Francis (Alpharetta, GA) |
Assignee: |
Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
(Neenah, WI)
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Family
ID: |
26791818 |
Appl.
No.: |
09/303,798 |
Filed: |
April 30, 1999 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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092259 |
Aug 14, 1998 |
D429930 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
221/46; 221/49;
221/61 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47K
10/424 (20130101); A47K 2010/428 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47K
10/24 (20060101); A47K 10/42 (20060101); A47K
010/24 (); B65H 001/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;221/45,46,47,55,61,63,62,283,287 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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618285 |
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Apr 1961 |
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CA |
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893001 |
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Feb 1972 |
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CA |
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1151121 |
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Aug 1983 |
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CA |
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3127358 |
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Jan 1983 |
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DE |
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8708274 |
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Sep 1987 |
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DE |
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331027 |
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Sep 1989 |
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EP |
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444444 |
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Sep 1991 |
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EP |
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690187 |
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Apr 1953 |
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GB |
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1002215 |
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Aug 1965 |
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GB |
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1112680 |
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May 1968 |
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GB |
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1443111 |
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Jul 1976 |
|
GB |
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1476303 |
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Jun 1977 |
|
GB |
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89/12418 |
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Dec 1989 |
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WO |
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97/09918 |
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Mar 1997 |
|
WO |
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97/43938 |
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Nov 1997 |
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WO |
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98/02078 |
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Jan 1998 |
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WO |
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Other References
Derwent WPI Abstract DE 3127358 A, Patent Assignee: Wagner H. .
Abstract DE 4006224, German Counterpart of EP 444444 listed under
Foreign Patent Documents. .
PCT International Search Report dated Jan. 12, 2000..
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Primary Examiner: Valenza; Joseph E.
Assistant Examiner: Crawford; Gene O.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Dority & Manning
Parent Case Text
This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application
No. 60/096,557, filed on Aug. 14, 1998 and which is a contuation of
U.S. Design Application No. 29/092,259, filed on Aug. 14, 1998, now
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 429,930.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An adapter, capable of conforming to the interior shape of a
rolled material dispenser, the adapter being configured to securely
protect its contents from users and yet be conveniently refilled,
the adapter providing a plurality of vertically stacked,
interfolded sheets for dispensing, comprising:
a housing comprising an interior adapted to receive a plurality of
vertically stacked, interfolded sheets, each sheet including a
leading edge and a trailing edge separated by spaced-apart side
edges, said housing further comprising an exterior having a
plurality of walls sized to conform to the interior space of a
mounted rolled material dispenser, the housing having a bottom
wall, front wall, and back wall;
an opening having a width dimension, the opening formed in the
front wall of the housing, the opening adapted to dispense stacked
interfolded sheets from the interior of the housing, the side edges
of the sheets being urged inwardly by the width dimension of the
opening as the sheets pass through the opening; and
a door attached to the housing, the door being positioned on the
front wall of the housing and being restricted from opening by an
outer restricting means, the door being adapted to be capable of
moving between (i) an open position for refilling the dispenser
through the door and (ii) a closed position for dispensing,
whereby the adapter is configured to fit within said rolled
material dispenser to convert the rolled material dispenser to a
dispenser capable of supplying folded sheets.
2. The adapter of claim 1 in which the dispenser is configured for
a:
i) dispensing configuration, and
ii) a loading configuration,
such that the dispenser is adapted to restrict access to the door
when the dispenser is in the dispensing configuration, and
conversely to facilitate access to the door to allow loading new
sheets into the dispenser in the loading configuration.
3. The adapter of claim 1, the housing further including a bottom
wall including a boss extending upwardly into the interior of the
housing.
4. The adapter of claim 1, the opening further comprising a length
dimension and a width dimension, the length dimension being greater
than the width dimension.
5. The adapter of claim 1, the housing being formed of plastic.
6. The adapter of claim 1 further including an attachment mechanism
adapted to attach the housing to a dual roll vertically stacked
dispenser.
7. The adapter of claim 6, the attachment mechanism including an
adhesive.
8. An adapter, capable residing within a rolled material dispenser
that retains a plurality of vertically stacked, interfolded sheets
the adapter comprising:
a housing comprising interfolded sheets, each sheet including a
leading edge and a trailing edge separated by spaced-apart side
edges,
a bottom wall including a boss extending upwardly into the
housing,
a front wall,
a back wall spaced apart from the front wall, and
two spaced-apart side walls, each side wall extending between the
back wall and the front wall;
wherein said back, bottom, and side walls further comprise exterior
surfaces, the exterior surface of the back wall, bottom wall, and
side walls conforming to the interior space of a mounted rolled
paper dispenser,
an opening having a width dimension formed in the front wall, the
opening adapted to dispense vertically stacked interfolded sheets
from the interior of the housing, the side edges of the sheets
being urged inwardly by the width dimension of the opening as the
sheets pass through the opening; and
a door located on the front wall and attached to the housing, the
door being configured for moving between:
i) an open position for refilling the dispenser by inserting sheets
through the open door, and
ii) a closed position for dispensing sheets;
whereby the adapter is configured to fit within said rolled
material dispenser to convert a rolled material dispenser to a
dispenser capable of supplying individual sheets.
9. The adapter of claim 8, the opening being disposed on the lower
portion of the front wall of the housing.
10. The adapter of claim 8, the opening further comprising a length
dimension and a width dimension, the length dimension being greater
than the width dimension.
11. The adapter of claim 8, the door being pivotably mounted to the
housing.
12. The adapter of claim 8, the front wall further including an
upper portion and a lower portion which are joined along a front
edge.
13. The adapter of claim 12, a first interior angle being formed by
the lower portion and the upper portion of the front wall, the
first interior angle being less than 180 degrees.
14. The adapter of claim 8, the back wall further comprising an
upper portion and a lower portion which are joined at a back
edge.
15. The adapter of claim 14, a second interior angle being formed
by the lower portion and the upper portion of the back wall, the
second interior angle being less than 180 degrees.
16. The adapter of claim 8 further including an attachment
mechanism adapted to attach the housing to a dual roll vertically
stacked dispenser.
17. The adapter of claim 16, the attachment mechanism including an
adhesive.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed generally to folded sheet
adapters for roll dispensers, and more particularly to
bottom-dispensing folded sheet adapters for standard, vertically
stacked dual roll dispensers.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A wide variety of dispensers are available for dispensing materials
such as tissues, paper towels and the like. Most dispensers are
configured to dispense such materials either from a roll or from a
stack of interfolded sheets. Dispensers for multiple rolls of paper
material, such as rolls of bathroom tissue, are also well known in
the art. With typical conventional dispensers of this type, two
rolls of tissue are vertically oriented within the dispenser so
that the top roll falls or otherwise is moved into a dispensing
position when the bottom roll is depleted. In selected
applications, the use of stacked, interfolded sheets offers several
advantages to users over materials in roll form.
Unfortunately, dispensers configured to dispense materials from
rolls are not typically able to dispense stacked, interfolded
sheets. Thus, when a user desires to switch from dispensing rolled
materials to dispensing stacked, interfolded materials, a new
dispenser must be purchased and installed. To avoid the additional
cost and labor incurred in installing a new dispenser, an adapter
is needed which enables a user to easily and inexpensively adapt a
roll dispenser to dispense stacked, interfolded sheets.
In selected circumstances, it may be desirable to alternate between
dispensing rolled materials and dispensing stacked, interfolded
sheets. In such circumstances, an adapter must be able to be
installed into the roll dispenser without damaging the mechanisms
within the dispenser which permit rolled materials to be dispensed.
Thus, it may be desirable that an adapter be easily removed from
and reinstalled into the rolled material dispenser.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to an adapter for dispensing a
plurality of vertically stacked, interfolded sheets. The adapter is
configured to fit within a dispenser which dispenses rolled
materials. In selected embodiments, the adapter is configured to be
placed within a dispenser which dispenses two vertically stacked
rolls of material. The adapter includes a housing having an
interior that is adapted to receive a plurality of vertically
stacked, interfolded sheets. Each sheet includes a leading edge and
a trailing edge separated by spaced-apart side edges. The housing
may include a bottom wall. In some embodiments, a boss is disposed
on the bottom wall, the boss extending upwardly into the interior
of the housing. The housing may also include a front wall, a back
wall spaced apart from the front wall, and two spaced-apart side
walls, each side wall extending between the back wall and the front
wall.
An opening is formed in the housing and, in selected embodiments,
is disposed on the front wall. The opening is characterized by a
width dimension and a height dimension. In some embodiments, the
width dimension is greater than the height dimension. The opening
may be variously shaped and is adapted to dispense vertically
stacked interfolded sheets from the interior of the housing. The
side edges of the sheets may be urged inwardly by the width
dimension of the opening as the sheets pass through the
opening.
In some embodiments, a door may be attached to the housing, the
door adapted to permit ease of access to the interior of the
housing. The door may be pivotably or otherwise attached to the
housing.
In certain embodiments, the front wall further includes an upper
portion and a lower portion joined along a front edge. In such
embodiments, the opening may be disposed on the lower portion of
the front wall. A first interior angle formed by the lower portion
and the upper portion of the front wall may, in particular
embodiments, be less than 180 degrees.
Similarly, the back wall may also include an upper portion and a
lower portion joined at a back edge. A second interior angle formed
by the lower portion and the upper portion of the back wall may be
less than 180 degrees.
An attachment mechanism may be provided, the attachment mechanism
being adapted to attach the housing to a dual roll vertically
stacked dispenser. In some embodiments, the attachment mechanism
may include an adhesive and may be positioned on the back wall of
the housing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an adapter according to the present
invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of an
adapter according to the present invention positioned within a
dispenser which dispenses two vertically stacked roll of
material.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of the adapter
depicted in FIG. 2, taken along line 3--3.
FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional side view of another embodiment
of the adapter of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a rear view of the embodiment of the adapter depicted in
FIG. 4.
FIG. 6 is a top view of the embodiment of the adapter depicted in
FIG. 4.
FIG. 7 is a front view of still another embodiment of the adapter
according to the present invention.
FIGS. 8A-8E illustrate various opening shapes suitable for use with
the adapter of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-section illustrating a dispensing
sequence for a plurality of vertically stacked, interfolded
sheets.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to FIG. 1, a tissue or paper towel adapter 10 is
shown therein. The adapter 10 includes a housing 12 sized for
receiving a dispensable material such as, for example, a plurality
of folded tissues or paper towels. Although the housing 12 may be
variously configured, the housing 12, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4,
includes a bottom wall 13, a front wall 14, a back wall 16, and two
spaced-apart side walls 18, the front wall 14 and the back wall 16
being separated by the side walls 18.
As shown in the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1, the front wall 14
includes an upper portion 22 and a lower portion 24 which are
joined along a front edge 26. Disposed on the front wall 14 is an
opening 28. The opening 28 may be formed in a variety of shapes. In
selected embodiments, the opening 28 is positioned on the lower
portion 24 of the front wall 14. Sheets such as, for example,
tissues, paper towels or other materials that are disposed within
the interior 30 of the housing 12 are dispensed through the opening
28.
The adapter 10 is configured to be placed within a dispenser which
dispenses rolled materials such as, for example, tissues or paper
towels. In selected embodiments and as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the
adapter 10 may be placed within a dispenser 32. The dispenser 32
may include a front 33, a back 31 and a removable cover 34. As
shown in FIG. 3, the back 31 of the dispenser 32 may be mounted to
a support member such as the wall 35. The dispenser 32 may also be
mounted to or supported by a wide variety of structures such as a
shelf, counter or the like.
FIG. 3 depicts a cross-section of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2
taken along line 3--3. As shown therein, the adapter 10 is at least
partially supported by the dispenser 32. The adapter 10 is
positioned within the dispenser 32 so that the front wall 14 of the
adapter 10 faces the same direction as the front 33 of the
dispenser 32. Thus, an individual facing the front 33 of the
dispenser 32 is also facing the front wall 14 of the adapter
10.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the adapter 10 may also include a door
36 attached to the housing 12. The door 36 is attached to the
housing 12 in a manner which permits easy access to the interior 30
of the housing 12. Thus, a user may open the door 36 to fill the
interior 30 of the housing 12 with materials such as stacked,
interfolded tissues or paper towels. After filling the interior 30
of the housing 12, the user may close the door 36 to the housing
12.
The door 36 may be variously configured and attached to the housing
12 so that the door may be opened by sliding, pivoting, detaching,
or the like. A variety of attachment mechanisms may be utilized,
including, for example, a living hinge, sliding members such as
interlocking guide tracks, mechanical fasteners such as screws or
rivets, or hinges. As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5, a pair of hinges
38 is utilized to attach the door 36 to the housing 12. In
particular embodiments, the hinges 38 may be positioned at the
lower edge 37 of the door 36. The lower edge 37 of the door 36 may
be positioned proximate to the upper portion 22 of the front wall
14, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. The lower edge 37 of the door 36 may
also be positioned proximate to the lower portion 24 of the front
wall 14, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. In alternate embodiments, the
door 36 may be pivotably attached at its upper edge to the housing
12.
Thus, when the adapter 10 has been positioned within the dispenser
32, the interior 30 of the housing 12 may be easily refilled with
materials by pivoting the cover 34 of the dispenser 32 outwardly or
removing the cover 34 from the dispenser 32 and opening the door 36
of the housing 12. In such embodiments, sheets of tissue or other
material may be placed within the interior 30 of the housing 12
without removing the adapter 10 from the dispenser 32.
In particular embodiments and as best shown in FIG. 4, the upper
portion 22 and lower portion 24 of the front wall 14 form a first
interior angle .alpha. within the interior 30 of the housing 12. In
selected embodiments, the first interior angle .alpha. is less than
180 degrees. The lower and upper portions 22 and 24 may be planar
or curved. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 3, the first interior
angle .alpha. is formed between the lower portion 24 of the front
wall 14 and the door 36.
In some embodiments and as shown in FIG. 4, the back wall 16 of the
housing 12 may also include an upper portion 40 and a lower portion
42 which intersect along a back edge 44. The upper portion 40 and
lower portion 42 form a second interior angle .beta. within the
interior 30 of the housing 12. In selected embodiments, the second
interior angle .beta. is less than 180 degrees. The lower and upper
portions 40 and 42 may be planar or curved.
The interior angles .alpha. and .beta. formed in the front and back
walls, 14 and 16, respectively, assist in positioning sheets within
the interior 30 of the housing 12 so that they may be easily
removed through the opening 28. In certain embodiments, the bottom
wall 13 may also be variously angled with respect to the front and
back walls. As shown in the embodiment depicted in FIG. 3, a boss
20 is provided which extends upwardly from the bottom wall 13 into
the interior 30 of the housing 12. The boss 20 may be formed to
assist in moving the materials to be dispensed into a position so
that they may be easily removed from the housing 12.
The adapter 10 may be secured within the dispenser 32 in a variety
of ways, including adhesively attaching the adapter 10 to the
dispenser or utilizing mechanical fasteners such as screws, bolts,
and the like. For example, at least one length of a two-sided
adhesive tape may be secured to an exterior surface of the housing
12. As shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, a pair of two-sided adhesive tape
strips 46 are secured to the back wall 16 of the housing 12. If
desired, the adapter 10 may be removably secured to the dispenser
32 to permit easy removal and replacement of the adapter 10 without
altering the original function of the dispenser 32, thereby
enabling a single dispenser to be easily converted to dispense
material from either rolls or sheets.
The adapter 10, as described herein, may be constructed of a
variety of materials, such as metals, plastics or other materials.
The construction of the adapter 10 will depend on which materials
are utilized. For example, a variety of plastics may be utilized to
mold a one-piece unitary housing 12.
FIGS. 7 and 8A-8E illustrate alternate configurations of the
opening 28. In each of the FIGS. 7 and 8A-8E, the opening 28 has a
length dimension A, illustrated by broken line A, and a width
dimension B, illustrated by broken line B. In some embodiments, the
length dimension A extends horizontally when the adapter 10 is
mounted within a dispenser 32. In other embodiments, the width
dimension B may extend horizontally when the adapter is mounted
within the dispenser 32. The opening 28 may also be otherwise
oriented with respect to the dispenser to assist in removal of the
folded, stacked materials from the interior 30 of the housing
12.
In some instances, for example in FIGS. 8C and 8D, broken line B1
and B2 illustrate separate width dimensions of varying size within
each of the respective shapes. However, in these instances, the
length dimension A remains greater than the larger of either width
dimension B1 or B2.
The shape of the opening 28 illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5 may be
characterized as "rod-shaped". The "rod-shaped" opening may be
described as an elongated aperture having rounded ends, the width
of the aperture increasing around the mid-point of the length of
the aperture. Specifically, the width increases to a particular
width and remains constant until the width again decreases to the
previous width of the aperture.
The opening 28 depicted in FIG. 7 is an elongated aperture having
rounded ends, a substantially straight lower edge, and an upper
edge which is arcs upwardly close to the middle along the length of
the opening.
Referring now to FIG. 8A, the shape of the opening 28 disclosed
therein may be characterized as "star-shaped", in that the opening
28 looks somewhat similar to an elongated four-pointed star. As
shown in FIG. 8B, the opening 28 may be characterized as
"clover-shaped". The "clover-shaped" opening is similar to the
"rod-shaped" opening, except that the increase in width near the
mid-point of the aperture length is roughly in the shape of a
half-circle formed along the lower and upper edges of the opening,
the half-circle being centered near the midpoint of the length
dimension.
The opening 28 illustrated in FIG. 8C may be characterized as
"dumbbell-shaped", as the aperture is an elongated opening having
enlarged, rounded ends. The opening 28 illustrated in FIG. 8D may
be characterized as "keyhole-shaped" and is similar to the
"dumbbell-shaped" opening, except that the diameter of the opening
28 is enlarged at one end only. The opening 28 illustrated in FIG.
8E may be characterized as "oval-shaped".
Referring now to FIG. 9, a column 50 including a plurality of
vertically stacked folded sheets 48 is shown therein. Although many
different arrangements of interfolded sheets may be used in the
present invention, FIG. 9 illustrates particular interfolding
arrangement. Within column 50, each sheet 48 is generally folded in
half upon itself such that the folded halves capture the trailing
edge 52 of the sheet 48 directly below it and the leading edge 54
of the sheet directly above it. The column 50 is supported within
the adapter 10. Each sheet 48 also includes spaced-apart side edges
which are urged inwardly by the opening as the sheets 48 pass
through the opening in the lower portion of the front wall.
While the invention has been described in detail with respect to
specific embodiments thereof, it will be appreciated that those
skilled in the art, upon attaining an understanding of the
foregoing, may readily conceive of alterations to, variations of
and equivalents to these embodiments.
* * * * *